The government should encourage employers to provide more apprenticeships and intern placements if they want to increase inclusion in the workplace for young people.

This is the feeling held by the majority of jobseekers according to recruitment firm Hays, who surveyed 1,000 people in this group to find the type of qualification that they felt would help young people succeed in their career.

On the job training topped the survey with 93 per cent of those polled agreeing that this was a good route to career development, while 90 per cent said apprenticeships and 84 per cent believed internships were useful to help young people into jobs.

Degrees featured further down the list with 78 per cent of respondents saying that they felt a university qualification was important for career progression, indicating that jobseekers are now after workplace training to find employment.

Charles Logan, director at Hays said: “In a highly competitive and crowded job market, internships and other career training schemes are increasingly important to make sure employees can get a foot in the door, make their CV stand out from the crowd and continue to learn new skills.”

Meanwhile trade union Unite has called on George Osborne to announce a Budget based on jobs and growth this afternoon and not one that focuses on austerity.

Unite’s general secretary Len McCluskey urged the chancellor not to pander to the rich and to unveil a Budget that would help tackle unemployment and would help the many workers who’s disposable incomes had already dropped by £150 a month.

He said: “Last week’s appalling jobless figures – a 17-year high – mean that the Budget should be geared at getting people back to work – and in the case of young people, into work for the first time.

“Pandering to the rich won’t help the lost generation of young people into employment.”